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Department of Agriculture
Most recent quarterly backlog
4,104
End of FY2026 Q1 (Oct 1 – Dec 31, 2025)
Latest annual report
6,386
End of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
17-year change
+297%
FY2010 → FY2024 (Oct 1, 2009 – Sept 30, 2024)
Annual backlog, FY2010–FY2024
Pending requests at end of each fiscal year (Oct 1, 2009 – Sept 30, 2024). Federal fiscal year runs Oct 1 – Sept 30, named for the year it ends.
FY10: 1,608
FY12: 1,839
FY14: 3,470
FY16: 4,418
FY18: 6,624
FY20: 6,851
FY22: 2,406
FY24: 6,386
Dashed verticals mark presidential inaugurations.
Recent quarterly activity
Last 21 quarters of received, processed, and backlog. Most recent: FY2026 Q1 (Oct 1 – Dec 31, 2025).
Backlog
4,104
Received per quarter
3,898
Processed per quarter
2,467
10 oldest pending requests, end of FY2024 (Sept 30, 2024)
Days pending counts forward from the day the request was received. The longer this list runs, the more litigation-ripe the agency’s backlog.
| Rank | Date received | Days pending | Years pending |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 2018-12-14 | 1,448 | 4.0 |
| #2 | 2019-02-08 | 1,412 | 3.9 |
| #3 | 2019-04-02 | 1,376 | 3.8 |
| #4 | 2019-04-03 | 1,375 | 3.8 |
| #5 | 2019-06-04 | 1,332 | 3.6 |
| #6 | 2019-06-04 | 1,332 | 3.6 |
| #7 | 2019-06-12 | 1,326 | 3.6 |
| #8 | 2019-07-10 | 1,307 | 3.6 |
| #9 | 2019-08-21 | 1,277 | 3.5 |
| #10 | 2019-08-28 | 1,272 | 3.5 |
Exemption invocations, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
How often each FOIA exemption (b1–b9) was invoked when redacting or denying records. Exemption 5 (deliberative process, attorney-client) is highlighted — it’s the most-fought exemption in FOIA litigation.
FOIA staffing, FY2024 (Oct 1, 2023 – Sept 30, 2024)
Full-time employees
91
Equivalent FTE
155.5
Total FTE
246.5
Annual report history
| FY | Received | Processed | Pending end |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 24,722 | 21,113 | 6,386 |
| FY2023 | 16,605 | 16,242 | 2,750 |
| FY2022 | 17,069 | 17,166 | 2,406 |
| FY2021 | 20,956 | 21,815 | 5,998 |
| FY2020 | 22,810 | 23,103 | 6,851 |
| FY2019 | 26,458 | 26,094 | 6,957 |
| FY2018 | 36,547 | 35,482 | 6,624 |
| FY2017 | 25,461 | 24,006 | 5,555 |
| FY2016 | 23,870 | 23,134 | 4,418 |
| FY2015 | 20,132 | 19,559 | 4,038 |
| FY2014 | 19,864 | 19,243 | 3,470 |
| FY2013 | 22,580 | 21,556 | 2,845 |
| FY2012 | 22,175 | 21,686 | 1,839 |
| FY2011 | 23,065 | 22,939 | 1,347 |
| FY2010 | 20,368 | 19,962 | 1,608 |
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